Yeah. Occasionally you do find one or two people that do know what they're talking about.
The one in Brighton when I used to go to it was quite bad though. A guy came in once and asked for some fuses. They didn't have the right amperage in stock but the salesman said that the next one up would do fine...
Also half the time they'd give me the wrong parts and it would be totally wrong. I'd get a bag of diodes or something when I wanted a few resistors. They're about the same shape so I guess they just weren't paying attention.

B&Q are a lot better than Homebase in terms of advice but aren't as flashy as Homebase. Homebase is a lot "cleaner" inside but seem to recruit mainly younger staff who are just there as a part time thing at sixth form. I normally try to go to the local DIY shop, they're a little more expensive but the guy that runs it seems to have done everything before and knows what to recommend.